WORLD NEWS
World Health Organization Charges Anti-Vaxxers With “Anti-Science Aggression”
The Bill Gates-funded World Health Organization (WHO) is on the rhetorical warpath against “anti-vaxxers” who won’t submit to the mRNA injections, launching a new social media campaign to demonize their opponents.
Via ThinkCivics:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled unvaccinated people a “major killing force globally” in a new campaign being promoted on social media.
The WHO is promoting a new video that targets “anti-vaccine activism” by blasting those who choose not to be vaccinated for supporting “anti-science aggression.”
The video features pediatrician and vaccine advocate Dr. Peter Hotez who laments the “devastating impact of misinformation and disinformation” regarding Big Pharma’s Covid shots.
Virologist Peter Hotez, the useful vector that the WHO uses to launch its attack, is a fat slob from whom no sane person would take medical advice. He admitted to Joe Rogan that he consumes fast food as the staple of his diet, with no regard for nutrition at all.
Here’s a challenge: find a single interview or publication from Public Health™ authority Peter Hotez discussing the negative public health impacts of unchecked obesity and the degradation of the American food supply.
Why would he concern himself with healthy food? Where’s the social control/profit angle for that? Where’s the career advancement angle?
Hotez, whose lab receives Gates Foundation money, has shilled for the vaccine passport/mandatory vaxx/lockdown agenda since the beginning of the pandemic because he knows where his bread gets buttered.
End of the Pandemic: Israel to Downgrade Coronavirus to Flu Status
Israel will declare the coronavirus pandemic officially over next month, with the viral disease being downgraded to the status of the flu.
As of Jan. 18, the country’s civilian health system will be handed responsibility for all Covid-related treatment and testing, taking over from the Home Front Command.
On the last day of January, the coronavirus will be categorized alongside influenza. The pandemic control center will be shuttered, and Covid patients will no longer require isolation.
Australian Senator Takes Hard Stand Against COVID Jabs
In an early-December 2022 Parliamentary speech, Gerard Rennick, senator for Queensland, Australia, reviewed some of the lies told by members of Parliament and the Department of Health about the COVID jabs
By September 2022 Australia had logged more than 10 million COVID-19 cases, even though 20 million of Australia’s total population of 26 million had received their COVID jabs
In 2021, Australia had 8,706 extra deaths above norm, even though New South Wales remained in lockdown for three months, so, in theory, the death toll should have been lower, not higher
Australia has logged 140,000 COVID jab injuries — more than all the injuries reported from vaccines since 1971 — yet the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) refuses to look at or acknowledge the safety signal. Chief health officers also admit not reading key science documents that detail COVID jab hazards
Waning effectiveness is the justification for repeated boosters, but artificially inflated antibodies caused by repeated boosters signal to your body that you’re chronically infected, and the resulting immune response may end up accelerating the development of autoimmune conditions such as Parkinson’s, Kawasaki disease and multiple sclerosis
A health expert has sharply criticized the Chinese regime’s lifting of international travel restrictions in the midst of a massive COVID wave sweeping through the country, saying the move is “extremely irresponsible” and could cause a global resurgence of the pandemic.
The National Health Commission announced on Dec. 26 that the country would end all quarantine requirements for inbound travelers from Jan. 8, 2023. Travelers will need to obtain a negative PCR test within 48 hours of departure, it said. Currently, travelers entering China need to undergo five days of mandatory quarantine in an approved facility, followed by three days at home.
The health body added that outbound tourism, which plummeted to almost nothing during the pandemic, will resume in an “orderly” fashion. It also removed the cap on the number of international flights to and from China.
The regime’s immigration administration said that passport applications for citizens intending to travel internationally will resume on Jan. 8.
Since these announcements, a top topic on Chinese social media has been “I can finally go abroad” after nearly three years of travel restrictions.
Data from travel sites show that Chinese residents are rushing to book overseas trips.
US to Impose Mandatory COVID Tests for Travelers From China
The United States will mandate COVID-19 testing for all travelers from China, joining a growing list of nations adopting entry curbs in light of the country’s COVID surge.
Beginning Jan. 5, all air passengers aged 2 or older will need to present a negative COVID-19 test result no later than two days before departing from China’s mainland, Hong Kong, or Macao, regardless of their nationality or vaccination status, U.S. health officials said on Dec. 28.
Those who have tested positive more than 10 days before the flight can show proof of recovery in lieu of a negative test result. At least one of the two documentation will be required for boarding a U.S.-bound
flight.
The measure was a response to the massive COVID wave sweeping the country on the heels of the Chinese regime’s abrupt lifting of stringent zero-COVID restrictions earlier this month without adequate preparation.
In the first 20 days of December, 248 million people in China likely have become infected, according to an internal meeting memo of China’s top health body that leaked online. The number dwarfs the COVID data and death tally officially released so far, which international experts and evidence on the ground show to be vastly disproportionate to the actual scale of the outbreak.
Amid the COVID surge, the National Health Commission earlier this week announced plans to resume outbound tourism from Jan. 8, three days after the U.S. rule will take effect.
All quarantine requirements for inbound travelers to China will end as soon as Jan. 8, the agency said on Dec. 26. The cap on the number of international flights coming in and out of China will be scrapped, and outbound tourism, which plummeted to almost zero during the pandemic, will resume in “an orderly manner.”
Chinese state media cited an immediate rise in travel demands by Chinese nationals, who have been prevented from leaving the country for nearly three years. The search volume for international air tickets on some travel sites soared by as much as 850 percent.
U.S., Other Countries Consider Limitations on Chinese Travelers
As China drops its COVID-19 lockdown restrictions for travelers, other countries announced limitations on incoming visitors from the country because of its rapid jump in coronavirus cases.
Citing a “lack of transparency” by the Chinese government over the effects of COVID-19 there, the United States is considering just restrictions for Chinese tourists, U.S. officials told CNN, The Washington Post and CNBC.
The officials told the outlets the lack of transparent data makes it “increasingly difficult for public health officials to ensure that they will be able to identify any potential new variants and take prompt measures to reduce the spread.”
Italy Reintroduces Coronavirus Tests for Travellers from China
The Italian Ministry of Health has reintroduced mandatory coronavirus testing at Italian airports for travellers from China over fears of a new wave of the virus.
Italian Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci has signed a new policy this week that will see mandatory testing for the coronavirus for all travellers who come from China stating, “the measure is essential to ensure surveillance and detection of any variants of the virus in order to protect the Italian population.”
The Ministry is also said to be examining the test results in order to determine if those coming from China may be infected with new variants of the coronavirus, the newspaper Il Giornale reports.
“Surveillance and prevention, through sequencing, are essential to promptly identify any new variants that may cause concern and that, at the moment, are not in circulation in Italy,” the Ministry said.
Chinese Travelers Land in Italy, Half Test Positive for Coronavirus
Italy’s decision to take extra precautions with Chinese travelers paid off on Wednesday as two flights from China landed in Milan and half of the passengers tested positive for Covid-19.
Italy was one of four countries that announced they would impose coronavirus restrictions on Chinese travelers because a massive wave of coronavirus infections is ripping across China, racking up millions of cases in a single day — but the tyrannical Chinese government decided to abandon almost all of its disease control protocols with almost no preparation for the consequences, loosen up travel restrictions, and begin handing out passports just in time for the Lunar New Year holiday.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Federal Pandemic Aid Funds Universal Basic Income Pilot Programs
There are at least 82 municipalities across 29 states now engaged in guaranteed income experiments, including more than 70 with pilot programs created within the past year, according to a coalition of more than 100 American mayors promoting the concept.
Mayors for Guaranteed Income, and proponents among municipal officials nationwide, are encouraging local governments to seed pilot programs with federal pandemic assistance from a $350 billion fund for state and local governments within the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), adopted in March 2021.
The mayoral group was established by Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, Calif., in June 2020 after the city launched, and later extended, an experiment where 125 residents received $500 monthly in a program financed by the Economic Security Project, a nonprofit that supports guaranteed income experiments.
During a Dec. 15 virtual roundtable discussion, several municipal officials said there is growing public support for basic income models and accelerating momentum to expand these programs through a mix of federal, state, local, and private money.
In fact, much to the chagrin of conservatives and budget hawks, the ARPA state and local recovery fund is being used “as a seed for long-term policy change,” said DePaul University’s Dr. Amanda Kass, who studies how states, cities, and counties spend federal pandemic assistance.
Kass told the panel that ARPA is the first federal program “that has ever produced this amount of highly flexible aid to nearly all governments in the United States—to tens of thousands of governments.”
As a result, she said, because of “the unprecedented nature” of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak and its accompanying slate of federal pandemic-related bills, local governments are spending ARPA money in innovative ways which makes evaluating how they spent, or plan to spend, that money “a tricky question.”
Kass said in analyzing how local governments are dispersing ARPA allocations, there’s “not just one avenue” but “many different stories” in how cities and counties “with unique socio-economic conditions” are using the money to address “unique needs.”
Jailhouse interview: Stewart Rhodes warns Trump is next for politically motivated prosecution
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia who was recently convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, said his case is a harbinger of what the Justice Department has in store for former President Donald Trump
The former Army paratrooper and Yale Law School graduate turned militia leader warned that his conviction on the rare Civil War-era charge has set an ominous precedent that should be a wake-up call for conservatives.
“Their success in my trial is paving the way for them to keep rolling through other people building up to Trump,” Rhodes told The Washington Times. “It was a warmup for what they’re going to do. That’s what that was — a political show trial.”
The Justice Department charged 11 members of the Oath Keepers with seditious conspiracy in connection with the riot. Prosecutors said the group coordinated travel to Washington with the intent of interrupting the peaceful transfer of power after the November 2020 presidential election.
Rhodes, who spoke to The Times from a detention facility in Virginia, plans to appeal the verdict. But he said the conviction has already set a dangerous precedent.
“Seditious conspiracy now is the most dangerous weapon that the deep state and the establishment have to use against dissent,” Rhodes said. “There’s no requirement, no element of that charge that includes an act in furtherance of a conspiracy.”
“It wipes out the free speech of the American people,” he said. “If it is used against anyone, the jury will be free to use their speech against them in a criminal proceeding.”
He predicted the Justice Department has others in its sights, including the former president.
“They’re going to do the exact same thing to President Trump,” Rhodes said. “.. They’re going to prosecute Trump.”
January 6 Committee Withdraws Donald Trump Subpoena
The January 6 Committee has officially withdrawn its subpoena for former President Donald Trump to testify before Congress.
In a letter sent to Trump attorney David Warrington, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the January 6 Committee, said that the subpoena he issued to Trump back in October would no longer be pursued.
“As you may know, the Select Committee has concluded its hearings, released its final report and will very soon reach its end. In light of the imminent end of our investigation, the Select Committee can no longer pursue the specific information covered by the subpoena,” Thompson wrote.
Constitutional Law Professor Issues Warning After FBI Criticizes ‘Conspiracy Theorists’
Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley sounded the alarm over the FBI’s recent statement decrying “conspiracy theorists” and “disinformation” after recent installments of the “Twitter Files” revealed that agents were in constant communication with Twitter.
A spokesperson for the FBI told Fox News, in response to several “Twitter Files” installments, said that “conspiracy theorists” are “feeding the American public misinformation” and said they are trying to discredit the bureau and its agents.
That statement, Turley told Fox News, is “disturbing” because the FBI has allegedly “attacked many of us who were raising free speech concerns and called all of us collectively ‘conspiracy theorists spreading disinformation.’
“It was highly inappropriate, because the FBI has said that combatting disinformation is one of its priorities. So, it is a very menacing thing when you have the largest law enforcement agency attacking free speech advocates,” Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University who served as an expert witness during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, told the outlet.
With the reporting around the Twitter Files, Turley noted that new owner Elon Musk “has confirmed that the FBI paid social media companies to help them deal with what they called disinformation, which most of us call censorship.”
“But also that they were in continuous communication, as were other agencies, targeting specific citizens and specific posters to be banned or suspended,” Turley said, referring to disclosures from the files. “That really does smack of an agency relationship and that could violate the first amendment.”
Biden Admin Expands Crackdown on Ghost Guns
The Biden administration has dialed up its crackdown on so-called “ghost guns” by issuing guidance that basically expands the definition of what “readily converted” means in a new federal rule and making more do-it-yourself pistol parts subject to restrictions.
In an open letter to firearms dealers (pdf) dated Dec. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) told firearm vendors that nearly-complete handgun frames or receivers—basically the pistol grip and firing mechanism—will be treated the same as fully completed firearms.
Kari Lake Appeals Judge’s Ruling on Arizona Election Lawsuit
Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has filed an appeal against a Maricopa County judge’s ruling to dismiss her lawsuit challenging the midterm election results.
Lake filed a notice of appeal with the same Arizona Superior Court judge on Tuesday to challenge the dismissal of her case. Lake will also seek a direct review by the Arizona Supreme Court, according to a court filing.
Arizona Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson first ruled against Lake’s election case on Dec. 24, confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as Arizona governor-elect. He ordered Hobbs’s side to file a statement of costs and motion for sanctions before Dec. 26.
On Dec. 27, Thompson found that there wasn’t enough evidence of misconduct by Maricopa County to overturn election results in the county. His ruling came days after Lake filed her lawsuit and after Thompson allowed two of 10 election claims to go to a short two-day trial.
According to election data, Lake lost to Hobbs by about 17,000 votes. Lake filed a lawsuit against Hobbs in her capacity as the current secretary of state, Maricopa County election officials, and other officials several weeks after the midterms.
“I am standing up for the people of this state, the people who were done wrong on Election Day, and the millions of people who live outside of Maricopa County, whose vote was watered down by this bogus election in Maricopa County,” Lake told Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Declares State of Emergency Amid Water Crisis
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday after the Mississippi capital’s water system was damaged by extreme winter weather, causing little to no pressure for many.
Because of the broken system, Jackson issued a precautionary boil water advisory on Christmas Day for all surface water connections until further notice.
The city’s O.B. Curtis and J.H. Fewell water treatment plants were working to maximize production to restore pressure to as much of the system as possible, city officials said.
Residents have been urged to report water leaks and turn off faucets to preserve pressure while city crews, contract workers, and other support teams try to isolate leaks and restore pressure.
Lumumba, a Democrat, described the situation as the “worst-case scenario.”
“Water crews are still dealing with complications at the OB Curtis Water Plant. We spent a good portion of today working to identify leaks in order to restore pressure. However, pressure remains low,” Lumumba said in a statement on Tuesday.
CDC Pushes Teachers to Measure Commitment to ‘LGBTQ Inclusivity’ Instruction
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an “assessment tool” for teachers and school administrators to measure their commitment to “LGBTQ inclusivity” in their classrooms.
The tool asks leading questions about school personnel and their faithfulness to queer theory, including encouraging sexual education teachers to have gender neutral anatomy, referring to boys as “body with a penis” and girls as “body with a vagina.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
DeSantis Admin Threatens Venue’s License For Hosting ‘Explicit’ Drag Show That Minors Could Attend
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) threatened to revoke a venue’s license Wednesday after it was reported it would host an ‘explicit’ drag show with children present.
The move comes shortly after an investigation was launched into The Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for hosting “A Drag Queen Christmas,” which was described as “sexually explicit” and “marketed to children,” according to a DBPR statement obtained by the DCNF.
“The Department is actively investigating this matter, including video footage and photographs from the event,” the DBPR said in a press release at the time.
Wednesday’s letter was sent to The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, one of the venues that planned to host “A Drag Queen Christmas.”
“Sexually explicit drag show performance constitute public nuisances, lewd activity, and disorderly conduct when minors are in attendance,” the letter read. “Accordingly, Florida’s licensure laws provide strict penalties for licensees who allow minors to attend these drag shows at their licensed premises.”
Southwest Airlines Cancels 2,500 More Flights Wednesday Amid Federal Officials’ Warnings
More than 2,500 flights have been canceled by Southwest Airlines as of Wednesday morning as federal officials issued more warnings to the company after well over 10,000 flights were scrapped since late last week.
Data from FlightAware.com shows that 2,508 Southwest flights were canceled by about 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, while another 185 were delayed. Since late last week, several thousand Southwest flights have been canceled—far more than any other carrier—as its chief executive warned that more are on the way this week.
“Here’s why this giant puzzle is taking us several days to solve. Southwest is the largest carrier in the country, not only because of our value and our values, but because we build our flight schedule around communities, not hubs. So, we’re the largest airline in 23 of the top 25 travel markets in the U.S.,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a news release on Tuesday evening. “Cities where large numbers of scheduled flights simultaneously froze as record bitter cold brought challenges for all airlines.”
Jordan continued to say that Southwest’s flight network is “highly complex,” adding that he has spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “to continue the discussions we’ve been having with the DOT through the holiday.”
Buttigieg said late Tuesday that Southwest’s “system really has completely melted down,” according to his interview with CNN. “I made clear that our department will be holding them accountable for their responsibilities to customers, both to get them through this situation and to make sure that this can’t happen again.”
GOP Rep. Wenstrup: We Need to Investigate what Southwest Did with $7 Billion in COVID Money They Got
On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Cavuto: Coast to Coast,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) called for Congress and the Department of Transportation to investigate the flight issues Southwest Airlines has had, pointed out that the airline industry received large sums of taxpayer funds during the pandemic, and stated that Congress needs to know where that money went.
Wenstrup said, “The complaints that we’re hearing about are, with the refunds, for example, by law, they’re required to make the refund almost immediately for people…but you mentioned it, $54 billion from the federal government to the airline industry. So, where did that money go? And I know it’s pandemic-related. And they say that was to keep themselves afloat, but that’s a lot of money, and Southwest, like you just said, 7 billion themselves since 2020. So, what were you doing with it? And we’re hearing labor shortage, this and that. Well, that should be fairly predictable. Look, the industry is a tough industry, no doubt about it. It’s a lot of maneuvering. But they seemed to have had it mastered pretty well over the years. The storm probably had something to do with this. But we’ve got to take some action in Congress and get some oversight and investigate some of this. The U.S. Department of Transportation needs to investigate. But so do we.”
Pete Buttigieg Ignored State Attorneys General Warnings on Holiday Airline Travel
President Joe Biden’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has ignored state attorneys general’s repeated requests to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable for canceling flights in the months leading up to the ongoing holiday travel fiasco.
This Christmas holiday travel season has been plagued with thousands of flight cancelations, primarily by Southwest Airlines, which failed to regain its footing after a massive winter storm hit the U.S.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Will You? The Brain-Computer Interface Is Already Here
Neuralink is ready to stick chips in humans. Synchron and Blackrock Neurotech have already done it—as have many others.
People talk about brain implants as if they’re an imagined biohorror in the distant future. This is a misconception. Hardwired trodes already exist, they’re more widespread than you think, and they’ll only be more prevalent as time goes on.
Today, it’s an iPhone 14 under the Xmas tree. Come the Singularity, transhumanists hope and pray, it’ll be an iTrode 666 in your cerebral cortex.
Synchron and Blackrock Neurotech, alongside numerous labs funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), are at the forefront of this human experimentation.
Neuralink is racing to catch up—burning through lab animals like so much kindling—and will likely take the lead once they’re approved for human trials.
Currently, a brain-computer interface (BCI) can provide quadriplegics and locked-in stroke victims a superior hands-free experience. Patients can move cursors onscreen. They can type text with only their thoughts. They can operate robotic arms to move beer bottles to their lips. The late Matthew Nagle, who received the first proper BCI in 2006, was able to play Pong “telepathically.”
Enjoying a decent head start, Blackrock Neurotech is the most prolific brain-jack racket. “36 people around the world have an implanted brain-computer interface,” their website states. “32 of them use Blackrock technology.” (If I had to wager, the former number is likely greater.)
These silicon seeds have been planted in a bed of gray matter, and after recent rounds of generous financing, they’re growing fast.
It’s important to note, though, that current BCIs are used to read the neurons, not write onto them. At least for now. Yes, there are deep brain stimulation implants—wired electrodes that sit under the skull, typically used to control tremors, and more recently, to alter mood. These simple systems, embedded in over 160,000 heads around the world, do provide input signals. But that’s a long way from hearing articulate voices in your head.
However, should the most aggressive developers realize their dreams, readily available BCI systems will read and rewrite our minds like RAM drives. In the near future, we’re told, commercial implants will allow regular humans to commune with artificial intelligence as if we were spirit mediums drawing ghosts out of the aether.
Manufacturers shield themselves from public outcry by promising the lame will walk and the blind will see. That’s already happening, but the openly declared goal is to move from healing to enhancement.
Elon Musk Reveals Twitter Staff Had a ‘Fauci Fan Club’
Elon Musk said Twitter employees had an internal group on Slack that was a fan club for White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, with Musk hinting that this shows Twitter staff’s political leanings under prior management.
Musk, who was strongly opposed to COVID-19 lockdowns that Fauci had backed, made the remark in a thread on Twitter on Dec. 28.
Twitter “had an internal Slack channel unironically called ‘Fauci Fan Club,’” Musk said in a post on Twitter.
Musk’s post noted that the Fauci Fan Club was set up despite outstanding “glaring issues” regarding Fauci, including the question of whether the White House adviser was untruthful when he denied that U.S. federal money was used to fund risky “gain-of-function” research at a Chinese lab at the center of speculation about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comment made by Musk was sparked by a meme posted by tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen, which included a screengrab of a response by the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot that was responding to a question whether Fauci “ever lied.”
“It is not accurate to say that Anthony Fauci has lied,” the chatbot said, per the screengrab. “Dr. Fauci is a highly respected physician and scientist who has spent his career working to improve public health and address infectious diseases.”
Musk reacted to Andreessen’s post by sharing a Newsweek article from Sept. 2021 that carried the headline: “Fauci Was ‘Untruthful’ to Congress About Wuhan Lab Research, New Documents Appear to Show.”
The documents the article refers to were obtained and released by The Intercept following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the publication against the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Amazon Begins Drone Deliveries in California and Texas
E-commerce giant Amazon has begun rolling out drone deliveries in two towns in California and Texas, the company confirmed late last week.
The airborne deliveries have started in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas, according to a report from local news in California.
Via KTXL:
“Our aim is to safely introduce our drones to the skies. We are starting in these communities and will gradually expand deliveries to more customers over time,” Natalie Banke, Amazon Air spokesperson said.
The service in Lockeford was first announced in June 2022 and six months later has officially started.
Amazon calls its drone delivery Prime Air and has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration and local officials in both Lockeford and College Station to begin the service.
Customers can opt-in to the Prime Air service to deliver loads of up to five pounds. Once loaded up, delivery drones will drop off packages in a customer’s backyard by descending to a safe height, dropping the package, and then flying away.
Facebook and Google Set to Lose Advertising Duopoly
Facebook (now known as Meta) and Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, are set to lose their long-held dominance over the advertising market this year, dropping below 50 percent of the market for the first time in nearly a decade.
Increased competition from Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and new entrants into the market are believed to be the cause of the dominant duo’s relative decline.
Via Benzinga:
According to Insider Intelligence, this will be the first year since 2014 that these two corporations won’t hold the majority share of the market as their share of revenues are expected to drop to 48.4 percent in what will be their fifth annual decline.
Unlike companies worldwide are cutting their advertising budgets in response to rising interest rates and high inflation, tech giants are going full speed ahead. They are even joining forces such as Microsoft and Netflix Inc who announced back in July that they will build an advertisement-supported tier of its streaming service.
Even Apple is redefining its advertising strategy and doubling its digital advertising business, with research group Evercore ISI expecting the iPhone maker forecasting a $30 billion ads business by 2026.
Digital advertising has been a key vector of online censorship. The industry was quick to respond to pressure from the corporate media and left-wing activist groups after 2016, boycotting conservative media as well as social media platforms including YouTube and Facebook that were seen as insufficiently censorious.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
It’s all about control.
A coalition of private companies has released a “digital ID blueprint,” which urges individual states to adopt the policies necessary to establish a digital ID system.
“In December 2022, the Better Identity Coalition released a complementary set of policy recommendations for State government officials, entitled Better Identity in America: A Blueprint for State Policymakers,” according to its website.
“These recommendations are squarely focused on ways governments can improve the privacy and security of digital identity solutions.”
Better Identity Coalition, launched in 2018, is a cross-sector partnership of 27 companies developing policy initiatives to drive better solutions for identity verification and authentication.
The Better Identity Coalition’s founding members include industry leaders from the financial services, healthcare, technology, telecommunications, financial technology, payments and security whose goal is to establish a
Members include AT&T, CVS, Discover, Early Warning, Equifax, Experian, Facetec, Fidelity, ID.me, IDEMIA, JPMorgan Chase & Co., LexisNexis, MassMutual, Mastercard, Microsoft, Norton LifeLock, Notarize, Okta, OneSpan, Onfido, PNC Bank, Ping Identity, TransUnion, Uniken, US Bank, Wells Fargo, and Yubico.
HEALTH
7 Foods That Boost Your Immune System
Winter is the most common season for contagious diseases because viruses thrive in cool, drier air, and people spend more time indoors in close contact with each other. This gives germs a shorter journey from person to person.
But experts say that when the body is exposed to the flu or cold virus, the best defense is a healthy diet and solid nutrition. Research shows when the body has optimal nutrition, it initiates an effective response against pathogens and helps combat any underlying chronic inflammation.
“Now is the time to become a health advocate and shore up your immune system, the body’s natural defense system to ward off illness and reduce your risk of disease,” Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D., author of The Natural Medicine Chest, tells Newsmax. “The efficient functioning of the immune system is of paramount importance to everyone, adults and children alike, since it controls our ability to fend off illness, whether it be a serious threat or even common sniffles.”
Susan Levin, a registered dietitian, and the director of nutrition for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, adds that we should “eat the colors of the rainbow” to boost the immune system.
“The pigments that give fruits and vegetables their bright colors represent a variety of protective compounds,” she says.
Here are seven foods will help you stay healthy this winter:
- Sweet Potatoes. These sweet, starchy tubers are helpful at building up the immune system. They are rich in beta-carotene, which helps maintain healthy skin, vision, and organ function. Beta-carotene consumption has also been associated to a decreased risk of lung and breast cancer.
- Bell Peppers. Bell peppers contain more vitamin C than an orange — just one provides 170 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin C is an effective immune booster, which is why many healthcare providers recommend taking this vitamin at the first sign of a cough, cold or flu. Vitamin C from bell peppers is helpful in the production of white blood cells, which is the body’s major defense against disease
- Dates. The experts at NiceRx say that fewer daylight hours mean our bodies require extra vitamin D to support our immune system and prevent fatigue. Dates are rich in vitamin D making them an essential food to help prevent illness this winter
- Spinach. Adding spinach to your winter diet will improve the body’s defense against germs and support the immune system. The powerful veggie is packed with vitamins B6 and C, as well as magnesium
- Salmon. Salmon and other fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient to keep you healthy this winter. Omega-3 helps increase airflow to the lungs to protect the body from colds and respiratory infections, says NiceRx.
- Broccoli. This vegetable is rich in vitamin C which is a super immune-boosting vitamin. A mere three ounce serving of raw or cooked broccoli supplies more than 100% of your body’s daily requirement of vitamin C.
- Ginger. This popular spice is packed with medicinal properties and can be used as a home remedy to help ease the symptoms of a cold. Use it in teas or in many popular holiday dishes to help prevent and treat winter illnesses.
3 Top Micronutrients for Cardiovascular Health
Brown University researchers conducted a study to determine which micronutrients are best for your heart
They unveiled an up-to-date evidence-based map that quantifies the impact of micronutrients on cardiovascular outcomes
Out of 27 micronutrients, three — omega-3 fats, folate and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) — came out on top
Omega-3 fats decreased mortality from cardiovascular disease, while also reducing heart attacks and coronary heart disease events
Folic acid, the synthetic version of folate, or vitamin B9, reduced stroke risk, while CoQ10 decreased all-cause mortality events
Most, but not all, of the micronutrients studied showed “moderate- to high-quality evidence” of reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Geoengineering: Startup Company Says It’s Already Begun Releasing Particles Into Atmosphere
A startup claims it has launched weather balloons that may have released reflective sulfur particles in the stratosphere, potentially crossing a controversial barrier in the field of solar geoengineering.
Geoengineering refers to deliberate efforts to manipulate the climate by reflecting more sunlight back into space, mimicking a natural process that occurs in the aftermath of large volcanic eruptions. In theory, spraying sulfur and similar particles in sufficient quantities could potentially ease global warming.
It’s not technically difficult to release such compounds into the stratosphere. But scientists have mostly (though not entirely) refrained from carrying out even small-scale outdoor experiments. And it’s not clear that any have yet injected materials into that specific layer of the atmosphere in the context of geoengineering-related research.
That’s in part because it’s highly controversial. Little is known about the real-world effect of such deliberate interventions at large scales, but they could have dangerous side effects. The impacts could also be worse in some regions than others, which could provoke geopolitical conflicts.
Some researchers who have long studied the technology are deeply troubled that the company, Make Sunsets, appears to have moved forward with launches from a site in Mexico without any public engagement or scientific scrutiny. It’s already attempting to sell “cooling credits” for future balloon flights that could carry larger payloads.
Several researchers MIT Technology Review spoke with condemned the effort to commercialize geoengineering at this early stage. Some potential investors and customers who have reviewed the company’s proposals say that it’s not a serious scientific effort or a credible business but more of an attention grab designed to stir up controversy in the field.
Luke Iseman, the cofounder and CEO of Make Sunsets, acknowledges that the effort is part entrepreneurial and part provocation, an act of geoengineering activism.
He hopes that by moving ahead in the controversial space, the startup will help drive the public debate and push forward a scientific field that has faced great difficulty carrying out small-scale field experiments amid criticism.
“We joke slash not joke that this is partly a company and partly a cult,” he says.
Iseman, previously a director of hardware at Y Combinator, says he expects to be pilloried by both geoengineering critics and researchers in the field for taking such a step, and he recognizes that “making me look like the Bond villain is going to be helpful to certain groups.” But he says climate change is such a grave threat, and the world has moved so slowly to address the underlying problem, that more radical interventions are now required.
“It’s morally wrong, in my opinion, for us not to be doing this,” he says. What’s important is “to do this as quickly and safely as we can.”
Russia Temporarily Bans Exports of Oil to U.S., Other Western Nations
In response to Western price caps on Russian oil, President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday banned the export of oil to the United States and other Group of Seven and European Union nations.
The ban, which applies to all Russian oil and petroleum products, will go into effect Feb. 1 and be enforced until July 1. According to the Kremlin, oil exports to the affected Western nations can still occur, but only if Putin grants it in a special order.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
7 WAYS TO START HOMESTEADING TODAY
Are you itching to start homesteading today? If so, you’re in good company.
In the past few years, homesteading and living a more self-sufficient life has become increasingly popular across North America. And not just among rural folks.
Even city dwellers in big cities are trying apartment homesteading and learning traditional homesteading skills. And more people are spending hours online trying to figure out how to find homestead land.
No matter where you live, there are many activities available to introduce yourself to homesteading. And today you can start learning many of the skills you’ll need right on your mobile device or laptop.
Here are seven things that anyone can do to start homesteading today, regardless of where you live.
- START HOMESTEADING TODAY AND GROW YOUR OWN…
Honestly, this idea is going to be the first piece of advice any veteran homesteader will give you, and for good reason.
Growing your own low-cost garden can be done in virtually any space, and can give you access to fresh, natural, and free food. Start simply, and learn how to build a cinder block garden as a weekend project.
Even better, growing your own garden to feed your family helps secure your food supply in uncertain times. Start by choosing easy vegetables to grow with kids and you’ll encourage the next generation to homestead too!
PLAN TO GROW VEGETABLES INDOORS OR OUTDOORS
Create a plan to grow vegetables, herbs, or even simple flowers to bring some natural beauty to your space. Learn the basics of permaculture design principles to make use of the natural microclimates in your suburban yard.
I love to grow herbs because it provides a constant source of fresh ingredients and flavors for my cooking. With herbs, it’s as simple as plucking off a few leaves when you need them. And you’ll find it’s fairly easy to grow herbs indoors.
If you have a yard of any kind, starting a backyard garden is pretty simple. But for those of you who don’t have access to a yard, there are some easy solutions.
Pick up some over-the-railing style window baskets if your patio has railings to hang them on. You can also create a stacked rebar tower of potted plants, ideal for using limited space super efficiently.
Are you in a condo with one of those patios that have a separator between yourself and your neighbor? If so, those barriers provide a perfect area to toss up some lattice or posts and start growing tomatoes and other climbing plants.
- LEARN ABOUT CANNING AND PRESERVING
Canning or preserving food is a natural way to increase the longevity of certain foods without them spoiling or requiring refrigeration. And it’s a good introduction to some basic homesteading skills.
Before the mass production and shipping of produce, canning, preserving, and dehydrating were how those of us in colder climates ensured we would have enough fruits, vegetables, and other out-of-season foods to last the winter.
In a global effort to buy local, secure their food supply, and avoid imported produce, many homesteaders are wisely home canning and preserving food when it’s in season. In recent years, fermenting and pickling have caught the attention of many people interested in food preservation with added natural health solutions.
Tip: If you’re brand new to canning, preserving, and/or dehydrating, consider getting a book. This big list of 21 canning and preserving books is a great place to start.
GET STARTED CANNING OR PRESERVING
Many of today’s aspiring homesteaders may not have enough space to grow a large amount of produce during their season.
So to get started homesteading today without your own garden, buy fruit or vegetables from farmers’ markets during the harvest. Then start canning them yourself. Or get started by making pickled vegetables as a fun family activity!
If you’re buying a large quantity, negotiate a lower price with vendors. And it’s always good to support local farmers.
Tip: Before you rush out to buy a flat of tomatoes or pickling cucumbers, think about where you will store your preserves. You might need to clean out your pantry, build new shelves, or find an alternative to a root cellar if space is tight.
If you’ve grown enough of your own food you should also learn to can some of it. A quick Google search will lead you to a ton of really good beginner guides and instructional videos to canning. A great place to start is learning how to make homemade applesauce. It’s pretty easy, and a great family weekend project.
Get a book like The Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving as a reference. An added benefit to preserves is that although you may need to replace the rubber seal lid, mason jars themselves are reusable for each season.
Add a good set of mason jars, and pressure canning supplies as your essential homestead kitchen tools.
- RAINWATER HARVESTING
This one’s simple and easy when you’re ready to start homesteading – even in the city. If you’re in an area that draws on a city water supply, save money with rainwater harvesting. Do your part to decrease the power and resources needed to pump, filter, and maintain the city water system.
The ideal place for a rain barrel is at the end of an eavestrough or gutter. Or make your own with a wide-angled piece of metal or plastic to funnel water in (though these are less effective). Either way, a rain barrel of any kind is a step in the right direction, and perfect for watering your garden.
- CONNECT WITH OTHER HOMESTEADERS
When first starting out as a homesteader, it’s always good to meet other people in your area who are interested in the same thing. There are plenty of local homesteading groups, and even online forums where you can find new ideas, ask questions and learn from more experienced homesteaders.
ust do a little bit of research for these types of groups in your area, and you’re bound to find them. Most of them meet occasionally and/or engage in different homestead-related activities.
Each group will be different, but it’s a fantastic way to meet like-minded people and increase your knowledge, helping you to get started homesteading today.
Tip: Facebook has many homesteading groups to join. Search for a local one, or choose a group based on your particular interest. For example, my mom belongs to several homestead cooking groups, chicken groups, and homestead crafting groups.
- TRY FORAGING
Learning how to forage is a great way to start homesteading today. The number of herbs, flowers, and wild edibles growing naturally in your area may surprise you. For example, in a large part of the north-east United States and corresponding areas of Canada, you may come across:
- Alfalfa
- Sunflower
- Echinacea
- Johns Wort
- Chamomile
- Blueberries
- Leeks
- Asparagus
- Elderberry
Use foraging to teach your kids, and take the opportunity to get outside as a family. If you’re in a city, start learning about urban foraging. Do a quick online search, or ask your local environmental agency, and get out there!
This can be as simple as keeping your eye out when you’re at the park or finding your nearest State or Provincial Park (double-check regulations beforehand).
- BRUSH UP ON YOUR CARPENTRY SKILLS
Okay, at first glance, this might seem a bit daunting. I promise it’s not as hard as it seems.
Carpentry is a great way to avoid purchasing mass-produced furniture and products, save some money, and learn some useful skills.
Start with something simple, like a bookcase, a cold frame garden, or even simpler, a Giant Jenga set. Yes, that’s right, the same childhood building blocks game, but much, much bigger!
If you don’t have access to a lot of tools or space, a Giant Jenga set is a very easy way to introduce yourself to the basics of carpentry, and you get a really entertaining game for your patio at the end.
All you need are some 2×4’s, a measuring tape, a saw, and some sandpaper and you can get to it. There are numerous “How To” guides on the web, and it’s a great outdoor game to create yourself.
CARPENTRY FOR HOMESTEADING
Once you’ve tried carpentry, if it’s something you enjoy, try some more challenging projects.
Experience is the best way to learn, and carpentry is a skill that is a great asset if you want to start homesteading today. It gives you the ability to construct custom pieces for any project around the home, and fix something rather than replace it.
Try to choose homestead projects that will help hone your carpentry skills and help you move towards your homesteading dreams. And if you’re planning to homestead and homeschool, get your kids their own toolsets too!
Tip: Many local hardware stores also offer introductory classes or seminars on different aspects of carpentry.
- RAISING MICRO LIVESTOCK (BACKYARD CHICKENS, TURKEYS, OR MEAT RABBITS)
Raising micro livestock, such as turkeys, chickens, or meat rabbits, may seem like a project suited to people with large yards, and in certain cases, it is. Yet if you have limited space, such as a balcony or patio, and want to raise your own livestock, try raising quail. They need less food than chickens or turkeys and can live in a smaller space.
Quail produce delicious eggs packed with more nutrients than an average chicken egg. Create an enclosure in the space you’ve designated, or stack cages if you have even less space. Double-check local bylaws beforehand, but you’d be surprised at what’s fully legal to keep and farm, even in a city.
If you’re an aspiring homesteader with a bit more space to work with, consider raising chickens or rabbits for meat. Rabbits provide tasty meat, breed up to four times a year, and produce good-sized litters each time.
On the other hand, raising chickens gives you access to fresh eggs, and with a little more space (like a DIY chicken coop) you can raise chicks and butcher chickens for meat. Either way, rabbits and chickens can easily be raised in a backyard with minimal investment in rabbit or chicken supplies. And they provide a great source of fresh, natural meat.
Learn about the five best homestead meats to get started with for inspiration. Another option is to try raising turkeys, which we’ve found provide a much better feed-to-meat yield.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Brownstone: It Was Always About ControlEarly on in March 2020 I was leery of the hysteria surrounding Covid and decided my course of action was to be wait and see. At the time I was under the impression that I was a freeborn citizen with a number of unalienable rights, including sovereignty over my bodily choices.
So when the talk started about new vaccines being imminent, I again decided I would wait and see whether the vaccines were all they were cracked up to be. This was then, and is now, an entirely reasonable position to take, screeching from media and Twitter hounds notwithstanding. I didn’t expect it would turn out to be more like “wait and see how totally out of hand this will get.”
- Wait and see how the government will forcibly close businesses
- Wait and see how treatments will be suppressed
- Wait and see how hysteria captured the media
- Wait and see how healthy populations will be subject to house arrest
- Wait and see how police will shoot protesters
- Wait and see how a pregnant mother will be arrested for a Facebook post
- Wait and see how medical services across state borders will be denied
- Wait and see how ‘wait and see-ers’ will be demonized
- Wait and see how family and friends will betray their loved ones
Well, I’ve waited long enough and I’ve seen more than enough. Thankfully the worst, most violent excesses have abated for now, if you exclude the ongoing carnage of short and long-term vaccine injury. There are lingering abominations from the blitzkrieg of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, but generally there is a sense that an uneasy peace, or maybe a phoney war, has descended on us.
Of course, there is still a serious amount of Covid pantomime going on.
Exhibit A: a TV news report recently showed a road accident victim doing rehab with a mask on, then happily chatting without a mask to the reporter, also without a mask. If he was worried about Covid he’d leave it on for the interview, or if he wasn’t worried he wouldn’t wear it while doing rehab. Seems you can have it both ways these days provided you don’t think about it too much.
Exhibit B: Last year cricket teams in the BBL were decimated if one of the players had a positive test, and others were ‘close contacts.’ Umpires refused to hold a bowler’s cap or sunglasses for fear of the spicy cough. Last night, two players on one team played despite not only testing positive, but also feeling unwell. If there is no practical change when a player has Covid, why do we need to know about it?
Answer: we don’t, but it has become normalised to disclose players’ private health statuses, just as it is normalised now to ask anyone any kind of detailed personal health question that satiates the questioner’s ghoulish fetishes. While player fitness has always been a matter of interest to sports fans, especially those who like a bet, illness used to be dealt with in a formulaic way, such as “Player X is not playing tonight due to illness.” There’s no need to know any further details.
Exhibit C: The memorial concert for aboriginal singer Archie Roach included a pre-concert ‘smoking ceremony’ in which footage aired for a news report showed a woman dancing through the ceremonial smoke – while wearing a mask. This example is probably less deliberate pantomime and more genuine irrationality. Anyone donning a mask and expecting to keep a virus out but let smoke in has taken leave of their rationality. Ironically, in this case the mask may actually do some good in preventing larger smoke particles entering the lungs – what firefighters call ‘smoke inhalation.’
It is counterproductive to scoff at these insanities – those who have not yet come in their own time to see the inconsistencies are not suddenly going to see the light because of a witty remark. The most likely reaction is an equally irrational, and possibly heated defence of the person or the rule. In valued relationships, the only sensible course is studied silence. Even a raised eyebrow in front of the TV can crank the tension in the room up a notch or two.
But these annoyances over masks and ‘Covid protocols,’ that overused euphemism for voodoo superstitions, are yesterday’s skirmishes in a war that has moved on to other theatres. The central battle is about freedom and autonomy. To the extent that the spoils of the ‘mask and protocol’ incursions can be re-weaponised against us, winning the freedom and autonomy battle will be that much harder.
How can we resist curbs on movement having once complied with QR scanning for going to the shops? Think it couldn’t happen? Oxford city council in the UK is moving ahead with a scheme to confine residents to one of 6 zones using electronic gates on roads and limited number of trips across zones.
How could we resist a forced medical treatment having once rolled over to experimental gene therapy? How can we fight against programmable digital currency when once we have accepted ‘card only’ cashiers and accommodated the idea of shopping for ‘essential items’ only and allowing a cop to rummage around in our shopping trolley?
The legislative bricks in the wall continue to be put into place with little if any scrutiny. Doctors are now unable to give opinions that depart from government health advice without risking de-registration. Pandemic laws born as bastard sons of parliaments suspended under state of emergency powers are now legitimised as permanent statutes, requiring only a declaration to bring them all into force once again. Digital ID’s are now compulsory for all company directors, including Mums and Dads who happen to be directors of their own superannuation funds. Ordinary citizens are surely next.
How is it that our lawmakers feel it appropriate to make these kinds of changes? No one asked for them. How is it they can ignore letters and petitions? Why do they partner with unelected globalists and make treaties we won’t be allowed to vote on? How is it that our civil rights institutions were so toothless? They didn’t even utter a whimper, let alone a growl. How is it that our professional bodies and business associations were silent?
Only a few brave souls protested. How is it that our police forces humiliated themselves to the point where they were taping off children’s playgrounds and fining elderly women for sitting on a park bench? We long ago gave up on the idea that the mainstream media would hold authorities to account.
In the end the explanations, whether we get them or not, whether they make sense or not, are beside the point. Nothing can change what happened. By some miracle we might avert what they have planned, but it’s going to be a hell of a fight.
Once upon a time, we sweated on daily case numbers when the new cases per day were less than 10; now we barely think of them, and they are in the thousands, if not the tens of thousands. There’s only one conclusion to be drawn – it was never about public health, and it still isn’t. It was always about control.
CANCEL CULTURE
Hollywood Lost More Than $500 Billion in Market Value in 2022
For Hollywood, 2022 was truly an annus horribilis.
Major studios, streamers, cable providers, and other media giants lost a combined $542 billion in market value in 2022, with left-wing studios the Walt Disney Co., Netflix, and Comcast accounting for the bulk of the bloodshed.
The Dow Jones Media Titans index, which tracks the performance of 30 of the world’s biggest media companies, shed 40 percent this year, with its total market value declining from $1.35 trillion to $808 billion, according to a Financial Times report.
GOOD NEWS
8 Celestial Bodies Line Up to Form ‘Planetary Parade’—For the Second and Final Time in 2022
You could call it a cosmic encore. It so happens last June’s planetary alignment—which included eight planets in our solar system lining up—is seeing a repeat performance this December, leading into the new year. So, if circumstances prevented you from taking in the last “planet parade,” you’ll have a few days to catch this one on the home stretch.
This month, eight planets—including Earth again—have fanned out across the starry expanse and currently appear as a grand, arced procession. Starting about 45 minutes after sundown local time, from low on the horizon, the planets arc southwest to east: Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, and Mars in that order. Weather permitting, all save Neptune and Uranus will be visible to the naked eye.
ICYMI
Missing Michigan Doctor Found Dead Under Frozen Pond Near Home
The body of a Michigan doctor was found in a frozen pond near his home after he had been missing for five days.
Dr. Bolek Payan’s body was recovered from a frozen pond near his residence in Leoni Township at around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from the Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety.
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